When David Price got the eighth-inning hook tonight, he sure looked like he wanted to pound someone’s face in like he was pounding fastballs past the Red Sox all night.

Ninety pitches, 67 for strikes, brilliant stuff, and there was Price yanked after fanning Jonny Gomes. It was a classic WTF moment for Joe Maddon, and it would have backfired if the home plate umpire didn’t bail out the Rays by erasing a clear run that would have tied the game at 2 and sent Price looking for Evan Longoria’s old AK-47.

But so it goes. Rays win, 2-1, and grab first place, in a victory that had a touch of a playoff feel in Boston.

Price deserved the win, and thankfully he got it, considering the Rays left all kinds of runs on the bases.

That '69 Orioles team was sensational---exceptional pitching and powerful offense. The Rays are starting to have those characteristics. Our offense is both surprising and welcome by me. Myers is much better than I thought he would be. He's added a lot of punch to the offense.

One difference will be that the Orioles offense will have had fewer strikeouts than our Rays.

It seems that one difference between 1950s-1960s baseball and today is many more strikeouts now. Is that because pitching is better from starters to relievers or is there a better explanation?